Who is Carson Spiers? Cincinnati Reds' pitcher gets first MLB win in start vs Pittsburgh
Carson Spiers entered Monday with impressive numbers so far this season for the Cincinnati Reds: a 3.20 ERA with no home runs allowed in 25 1/3 innings, with 20 strikeouts and five walks.
In a series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park, he was making his fourth career big-league start and seeking his first MLB win. And he got it, tossing six innings and allowing three earned runs, with a walk and five strikeouts in the Reds' 11-5 win.
"Coming out of the gate tonight, getting in the zone, mixing well early, that was kind of a big thing for me to get me settled in," Spiers told reporters after the game.
Spiers also said he told teammates "this ball's gonna go a long way" when Elly De La Cruz made contact on his home run to the riverboat above the batter's eye.
What to know about Carson Spiers, who turns 27 in November:
Spiers signed a free-agent contract with the Reds on June 23, 2020.
Spiers collected his first big-league win four years and one day after signing with Cincinnati. He got his first big-league save in September of last season.
At Clemson University, Spiers was the team's only two-way player in 2017. He became a top reliever in 2018, and was the Tigers' closer in 2019 and 2020.
He made 71 relief appearances for the Tigers, and did not start a game.
Spiers was used mostly as a starter in the minors, and posted big strikeout numbers.
Of his 90 minor-league appearances in the Reds' organization, Spiers made 60 starts.
In 2021 at High-A Dayton, he had 103 strikeouts in 89 innings, with eight home runs allowed.
In 2023 at Double-A Chattanooga, he had 106 strikeouts in 83 innings, with just six homers allowed.
Earlier this season at Triple-A Louisville, he posted a 2.51 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings, with two HRs allowed.
Carson's uncle, Bill Spiers, played for three teams in 13 MLB seasons.
Bill Spiers was the Milwaukee Brewers' first-round draft pick in 1987. He was the 13th overall pick, 12 picks after the Seattle Mariners selected former Moeller High School standout Ken Griffey Jr. first overall.
Bill played for the Brewers, New York Mets and Houston Astros from 1989 to 2001, batting .271 in 3,408 career at-bats. He hit a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres' Trevor Hoffman in Fame 2 of the 1998 NLDS.
Like Carson, Bill starred at Clemson. He is the special teams coordinator for the Clemson Tigers' football team. Bill's son, Will, was a punter at Clemson.
Carson's father, Michael, hit .301 over four seasons (1988-91) at Clemson, with 16 homers, 110 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in 184 games.
Carson's grandfather, Bud, also played baseball for three seasons at Clemson.
Carson starred in baseball and football in high school.
Carson was all-state as a senior at Greenville High School. As a quarterback, he also set the school record for career passing yards and touchdowns.
He lettered in baseball and football in all four years of high school.
Spiers considered playing football in college, and had interest from Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Wake Forest, among others.
"I pride myself in beating hitters in the zone," Spiers told SiriusXM.com recently. "So if I am attacking in the zone and getting swings and misses or weak contact with pitches that are strikes, that proves that your stuff is pretty good."
From The Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith via Twitter/X:
Carson Spiers has consistently kept the Reds in games this year. His strengths are throwing strikes, mixing a lot of different pitches and executing specific game plans for specific hitters.
His development over the last few years has been a win for the Reds.— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) June 25, 2024
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Carson Spiers gets first MLB win, impresses Cincinnati Reds in start
